The Way We Get By
by Leanna R
Summary: AU: Teen fic focusing on Lulu and her best friend Ella, Sonny Corinthos' daughter. Couples include: JasonRobin, LuluDiego, GQ, Jexie, EllaOC. EXTENDED SUMMARY INSIDE. ON TEMPORARY HIATUS.
1. Extended Summary

**A/N:** Alright, I couldn't resist. The new Lulu scenes have inspired me to write a new fic. It may take some time for me to actually start writing it, and even longer to post, but unless I write this, there is no way in hell that the idea will ever stop bothering me. So, here's the summary:

Carly did have a baby that she tried to pass as Jason's, except it wasn't Michael. It was a little girl named Ella. The rest of the story is the same, substituting Ella for Michael. Except, Robin didn't tell AJ about Ella and she didn't leave until Ella was around 5ish. So now, Ella's living with her adopted dad, Sonny, and her mother, Carly. Ella's now 17 and best friends with Lulu. She's also close with the other teens, especially Georgie, who's a senior along with her. Michael and Morgan do exist, except they're Sonny and Carly's biological children.

Ella is beautiful, with dark red hair. She's calm, mature, and responsible. She is the exact opposite of Lulu, and the two balance each other out.

Jason still has his memory, and the train wreck didn't happen. However, Carly is in Roselawn for a mental breakdown. She is also still married to Alcazar, although they're separated, just like on the show. There's no Ruiz crisis, Reese, or Nico. Everything else is the same.

**Couples:**

Ella/OC

Lulu/Diego (but not the perv Diego, the old, nicer Diego)

Jason/Sam (But not in a positive light)

Jason/Robin (eventually)

Georgie/Dillon

Maxie/Jesse

Brook/Lucas (He's not gay)

Sonny/Carly

Lorenzo/Carly

Lorenzo/Skye

Luke/Skye

Nik/Em

Courtney/Jax

Ric/Alexis

And…maybe some Justus/Lanie just because I love them!

Ella also has close relations with her Aunts and Uncles. She also accepts the Quartermaines. AJ never kidnapped anyone; however, he's out of the picture, chilling somewhere else. Any other important points will be brought up later.

So, is anyone going to read this if I write it? (Not like I care, this story's more for me than anyone else, so I won't be my usual review-addicted self with this one)

Leave me feedback if you want! If I do get a lot of feedback, I will start writing it sooner than later)


	2. Chapter 1: Criteria

A/N: So, I really just wanted to pop out this first chapter. Things are gonna be hectic and I'm not sure when I can update again. Let me know what you all think. **

* * *

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**Chapter 1- Criteria**

Ella rolled out of bed, scowling at the clock. She hated Mondays. She showered, dressed, and made sure her hair and makeup were flawless. Slowly walking down the stairs, she was sickened by the scent of bacon cooking. She had told her father time and again that she didn't eat "food with a face". Besides, it was too early to eat. She just needed a cup of coffee. But Sonny insisted on cooking breakfast for his family. Ella knew that it was just one of his many ways of compensating for Carly's institutionalizing. It may have worked on Morgan, but she and Michael remained unconvinced.

Ella generally got along with her brothers. Sure, the three of them fought, but they always got through it. Especially now that they lacked a mother. Michael and Morgan relied on Ella to provide the basic motherly needs that they required, and she tried her best to rise to the occasion. Sonny and Jason had long talks about this. They didn't want Ella to miss out on her teenage years because she was playing mom to her brothers. But Ella was determined, and nothing that Sonny or Jason did convinced Ella to just be a kid.

Ella kissed her brothers and father good morning before pouring herself a cup of coffee. She was still quiet, and Sonny sighed as he looked at her. He knew that this was so hard for her. Ella had never had a stable family life, and now that she finally did, it was being snatched away from her.

"You need a ride to school?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Ah, no. Lulu's driving me" she said quietly.

"You feeling ok?" Sonny asked.

"I'm just tired" she answered as she finished her coffee in one big gulp, and Sonny knew that she wasn't just referring to her lack of sleep.

"Good morning Corinthos'! I see you've provided me with the perfect breakfast to start my day off with" said Lulu as she entered the kitchen with a flourish.

"Lesley didn't cook for you?" asked Sonny with a grin.

"Her cooking has nothing on yours Sonny, you know that" said Lulu with a grin as she took her place at the kitchen table.

Whenever Sonny cooked breakfast, Lulu always made herself at home. But no one minded. Although some found her rambunctious and bratty, Sonny knew that Lulu was a sweet girl at heart. She was just rebelling against Luke's abandonment. And Sonny knew what it was like to be abandoned by your father.

Ella brushed one lock of her dark brownish red hair off of her face and sighed.

"Are Jason and Sam coming over for dinner?" she asked Sonny.

"Yeah, I think so" answered Sonny.

"Great, Jason can help me with my history project" she said.

Sonny knew that she was just trying to make him feel better about the real reason that Ella wanted Jason to come over. Truthfully, Ella couldn't talk to Sonny like she could talk to Jason. He had been her father for the first five years of her life, and the two had an unbreakable bond. But Sonny didn't mind. He loved his daughter and he just wanted her to be able to talk to someone. He knew that Ella just needed to cry it out on Jason's shoulder, and then she could go back to her normal self.

"We should go, we're gonna be late" said Ella as she looked at the clock. "Bye dad, bye Mikey, bye Morgan" she said as she gave them all kisses goodbye and left with Lulu, who still had a piece of bacon in one hand and a piece of toast in the other.

* * *

Ella opened her locker and took out her books as Lulu did the same next to her.

"So, who's the flavor of the week?" asked Ella as she watched Lulu check out every single guy who walked by.

"I am so done with high school guys" Lulu told her as she rolled her eyes and popped her gum. "College guys- now that's where the gold is"

"Have you ever considered settling down with one guy?" asked Ella.

"The fact that you would even suggest something as prudent as that makes me worry that you don't know me at all" sighed Lulu with another roll of her eyes.

"Oh, I know you all right. Sorry, dumb suggestion" said Ella as she held up her hands defensively.

"So, how bout you?" asked Lulu as the girls started to walk towards their first period class.

"How bout her for what?" asked Georgie as she joined the girls.

"We were just discussing Ella's boyfriend. Or lack thereof" she said mockingly.

"I'm just looking for the right guy" protested Ella.

"I can see where she's coming from" said Georgie.

"Yeah, that's because you're practically married. Why be tied down to one guy? We are so young. And even once we're old, there's no fun in devoting your attention entirely to one man"

"Maybe so, but I have criteria" said Ella with a small smile.

"Criteria? Dear god, save us all" mocked Lulu.

"Criteria are a good thing. Never settle" assured Georgie.

"Let me guess these criteria. Tall, kinda nerdy, cares more about talking then sex, is willing to give you those annoying little forehead kisses, calls you all the time, devotes his entire aim profile to telling the world how much he loves you. Let's see, he should also play the guitar, be able to write you songs, and being athletic as well as slightly nerdy isn't a bad thing. You want a guy who isn't ashamed to hold your hand in front of his friends. A guy who would do anything for you" moaned Lulu.

"And green eyes would be the bow on the gift" joked Ella.

By now, she just learned to put up with Lulu. Besides, everything that girl said was pretty much on target.

"I have no idea how we can be friends sometimes" said Lulu with a smile. "I mean, seriously. You're living in a fairy tale. Do you expect him to come up to you riding on a white horse as well?"

"Just back off her Lulu" defended Georgie.

"Be careful, she may steal your committed boyfriend. He meets almost all of the 'criteria'" said Lulu with dramatic air quotes as she walked away.

"God, that girl can be such a bitch" growled Georgie.

"She's just…Lulu. It's her personality. She means well, but she has all this bitter resentment stored up in her. Her mom's gone crazy, her father's absent. She's being raised by a variety of different family members. It's hard"

"El, your mom's lost her mind too! And your father's always dealing with some sort of trouble. You were raised by a variety of different family members, but on top of it, you have two little brothers that need love too!"

"Look, can we not talk about my family. Especially my mom" said Ella as she closed her eyes to bite back the tears.

"I'm sorry" said Georgie as she hugged Ella tightly. "Hey, Carly's like, my ex-step-cousin. She's still family, just like you. You're technically my ex-step… something. Some sort of cousin" laughed Georgie.  
"When in doubt, just claim cousins" laughed Ella as she walked into class with Georgie.

Georgie and Ella took their seats.

"Hey Ellie!" came a happy voice.

Ella looked up and saw her best friend (other then Lulu) walk into class. She and Sean had been friends for what seemed like forever. His dad was a police officer, and when Robin was still dating Jason, Mac had introduced Robin and Sean's father to each other so that their kids could play. Robin and his mother had gotten along pretty well, but she had since past away from cancer. Sean and Ella were really close, and other than Jason, he was the only one who was allowed to call her 'Ellie'.

"Hey Sean" said Ella with a smile as she turned to greet him.

"Hey Georgie" he said, interrupting himself with a yawn.

"You seem tired" said Ella.

"Yeah, I was up late last night. Between homework and practices…"

"Practices?" asked Georgie.

"Ah, yeah. I'm on basketball and I'm in a band" he said.

"Guitar?" asked Georgie as Ella began to blush.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" asked Sean.

"Lucky guess" said Georgie. "Wait a second? Are your eyes green?"

"Ah, yeah, they are" he said, looking uncomfortable as Ella turned even redder.

"Hmm, interesting" said Georgie as she walked away.

"What was that about?" asked Sean in confusion.

"Georgie has an eye color fetish. She's weird like that. I only hang out with her because she's my ex-step…cousin thing" said Ella, trailing off at the end.

"You've always had a weird family" said Sean with a killer smile.

Ella just smiled at him, playing with a lock of her hair as the two stared into each other's eyes and smiled.

* * *

"Good morning" said Sonny as he walked into the warehouse.

"That has to be the most annoying phrase ever" mumbled Jason as he downed half a cup of coffee.

"Bad night?" asked Sonny.

"Sam wanted to stay up and talk about wedding details" yawned Jason. "She was babbling on about the advantages of roses until 4 in the morning"

"For a man who's marrying the woman he loves, you don't sound too excited"

"I don't care about the wedding. I just wanna get to the married part" said Jason.

Sonny laughed and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"How are the kids?" asked Jason.

Sonny knew it wasn't just a polite question that you ask a business acquaintance. Jason was worried sick about the kids, especially Ella. Jason's heart always had a special place for Ella. She was his daughter at heart.

"They're ok. Morgan still hasn't grasped what's happening, Mikey's relying on Ella, and she's letting him. She just seems so sad all the time" sighed Sonny as he peered sadly into his coffee cup.

"She shouldn't have to go through all this" sighed Jason.

"I know" said Sonny quietly. "She's too stressed. Between all of those APs she's taking, and college applications, and cheerleading, and dance 7 days a week, she has no time to just be a kid. Especially now that she's trying to take Carly's place"

"I'll try talking to her" offered Jason.

"Thanks" said Sonny gratefully, knowing that Jason was the only one who could truly get through to her. "I suppose we should go through the files then" he said as he and Jason got to work.

* * *

Jason was grateful when the work day was finally over. He wanted to get home, shower, and then go to dinner at Sonny's. He was anxious about talking to Ella all day. He was worried about her, knowing that she was taking on all this extra responsibility. Jason was about to hop on his bike when he noticed a familiar looking person with her back to him. Her hair was slightly past her shoulders, and it was dark but highlighted. Jason squinted to get a better look at her, and for some reason, he was drawn to her. Getting off his bike, he walked over to her. He was less than a foot away from her when she spun around.

"Robin?" questioned Jason in a gasp.

* * *

A/N: So, there you all go. My own way of bringing Robin back. Let me know what you think of it! 


	3. Chapter 2: HeartToHearts

**Chapter 2- Heart-to-Hearts**

"Robin?" questioned Jason with a gasp.

"Jason!" she said excitedly with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

He looked her over. She looked pretty much the same as she had at Lila's funeral, except her hair was now a little shorter and had blonde streaks.

"I'm back for a while. I'm working over at GH for the time being. It was just time for me to come back. My family misses me, and I miss them"

"Oh" he answered. "Well, I really am glad that your back"

"Me too" she said with a smile. "So, I heard you're getting married"

"Ah yeah" he said awkwardly.

"Jason, really, I'm ok with it. It's not as if I expected you to be alone for the rest of your life. Heck, you married my best friend and Sonny's sister already. I know you're not just sitting on your butt all alone"

"Yeah, well, let's hope that the third times the charm" he said.

"Let's hope so. I mean, lets face it. If you were to get married again, that would mean another occasion to wear a tie and we all know how we feel about that" she said with a smile.

"Very true" he said with a smile that matched hers. "So, what about you? Anyone special"

"No, not really. I mean, I've had a few dates, but then I mention my HIV status and they're all out of there in a flash" she said with a bitter smile.

"I'm sorry" he said sincerely. "You deserve much better than that"

"Thanks" she said softly.

For a moment, neither said anything. Instead, the two looked at each other for a moment, trying to resist the urge to touch one another. Robin had to cross her arms and Jason had to stuff his hands in his pockets just to prevent it. And all the while, Jason was trying to convince himself that the relief that he felt when she said she wasn't seeing anyone didn't mean anything.

"Anyway, I should go" she said, finally breaking the silence.

"Yeah, me too. I've gotta meet Sonny and his family for dinner tonight"

"How's everyone?"

"They're all good. Except…well…I don't know if I should tell you this" he said.

"You don't have to tell me anything. It's not like you owe me. Just tell me, are the kids healthy?"

"Yeah they're fine. It's Carly. She had a mental breakdown. She's in an institution right now" he said.  
"That must be terrible on the kids" she said sympathetically.

Jason was taken aback that she didn't take pleasure in Carly's pain, but then he remembered who he was talking to. Not Robin. Robin didn't do that.

"They're coping. Or they're trying to at least" said Jason.

"Give Sonny a hug for me" she said as she started to walk away. "And all the kids. Bye!" she called over her shoulder.

"Bye" he said, still in awe of her beauty as her hair flipped when she turned her head.

* * *

"You're late" said Sam as Jason walked in. "We need to be at Sonny's in ten minutes. And you still smell like a foot. Go shower" she said as she crinkled up her nose. 

"Whatever you say" mumbled Jason as he bounded up the stairs.

* * *

Half an hour later, Sam and Jason walked into the Corinthos living room. 

"Hey, you're late! Michael's so hungry he was threatening to eat Morgan" said Sonny.

"Sorry, Jason has no concept of time" said Sam snottily.

"Well, its fine with me" said Ella as she came down the stairs. "It gave me time to finish my math homework. Help me with history after dinner Jason?" she asked.

"Of course" he said, shooting a look at Sam as she rolled her eyes.

Sam never understood his relationship with Ella. At first, she had thought that it was very weird. She was slowly getting used to it, but she still got annoyed when Jason and Ella constantly came to each others defense.

* * *

Dinner went off without a hitch. It was tense, and it was obvious that Sam was irritated with Jason, but other then that, there was no name calling, yelling, or food throwing. As Sonny cleared the dishes, Jason went upstairs with Ella to help her with her homework. She had barely taken out the assignment when Jason sat her down on the bed and said they needed to talk. 

"Uh-oh, a Jason Morgan serious heart-to-heart. Should I be scared?" she asked with a smile.  
Jason sighed and attempted to smile back.

"Ellie" he started, but she cut him off.

"Does this have to do with Mom?" she asked him.

"Yes" he answered truthfully. "Ella, you don't need to take Carly's place" he said bluntly.

"I'm not trying to Jason, I'm not. I'm just trying to be a good older sister to Michael and Morgan. They don't really understand what's going on. And they just need someone to take care of them. So, I'm helping"

"Ella, I didn't even specify what I was talking about and you already knew what I was going towards. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"Yeah, that I'm really good at reading you"

"Ella; Michael and Morgan have Leticia. And I know that you're too old for a nanny, but you have her too. It's not the worst thing in the world to lean on her a little"

"Leticia is paid to take care of us. I know that she cares about us, and that it goes above money, but the point is, she's not family. She doesn't have that same bond. I know that she loves us all like her own, but she can't understand what Michaela and Morgan are feeling. And I can. And I can't just turn my back on them. I'm their older sister; it's my job to take care of them"

"No El, it's your job to be a teenager. You're running yourself ragged. You have so many responsibilities. It's amazing that you're able to handle it all"

"Jason, most parental figures would be pleased to hear that their child is an overachiever who has goals and cares about her future"

"I am pleased to hear it. And I am so proud of you Ella. But I don't want you to give up your teenage years to be an instant adult. It's not fair to you"

"Fine, I'll try to lay off the mothering, ok?" she asked.

"Ok" he answered with a sigh.

"What's bothering you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

"Come on Jason, I know you. Something's on your mind"

"Don't worry about it"

"Jason, we always tell each other our problems. And I know that you want me to act less like an adult right now, but that doesn't mean you need to keep me in the dark"

He was quiet for a moment, and Ella stared at him intently, trying to figure out just what was on his mind.

"You can't tell your mother when you go to visit her, ok?" he asked. "It'll just upset her"

"I won't tell, I swear" she said, holding up her pinky.

He took her pinky with his and they did their little swearing ritual that they had forever.

"Robin's back" he said quietly.

"WHAT!" asked Ella in shock. "Are you kidding me?" she asked and he shook his head 'no'. "How did you find out?"

"I ran into her at the docks. She looked good" he said with a slight smile.

"Well of course she did, she's Robin!" snapped Ella. "That girl could look good in any bad situation"

"How much do you remember about Robin?" he asked her.

"I remember enough. Technically, the human memory can't recall any events or anything from before age four. So I only remember a few years with her. But I do remember missing her Jason"

'Me too' he thought bitterly.

"I know that she and mom never got along, and that they were both competing for your affection…but I did, and still do, love Robin. She was kinda like my fairy godmother. When Mom was too busy hatching a crazy scheme, she was the one who braided my hair, and signed me up for dance class, and attended my tea parties. And she always told me that I served the best air" said Ella with a smile.

Jason laughed, and Ella was glad to see him at ease, even if it was just for a moment.

"So, you're ok with her being back?" asked Jason

"Are you kidding me? I'm thrilled. I actually can't wait to see her again. Really Jason" she assured him. "But how do you feel about it?"

"I dunno. It's complicated"

"If anyone knows complications between you and Robin, it's me" said Ella.

"Yeah, I guess you do"

"Hey, you don't think Robin…"

But Ella couldn't finish her sentence as suddenly she was cut off by a shrill voice from downstairs.

"JASON!" called Sam. "LET'S GO! I WANNA GO HOME!"

"I guess you better go" said Ella as she cringed from Sam's high pitched voice.

"Yeah, I guess I better" he said as he got off the bed. "But wait, I never got to help you with your homework"

"That's ok. I can do it" she told him. "You better go before Sam pops a vein. I love you" she told him as she hugged him goodbye.

"I love you too" he said as he kissed her on the top of her head. "Remember, be a teenager" he warned her.

"I know, I know"

* * *

Later that night, as Ella prepared to go to sleep, she heard a light tapping on her window. 

"What the hell?" she mumbled as she went to look. "Lulu? What are you doing here?" she hissed in a whisper as she opened up the window and let her in.

"I need a place to stay" she said as she first threw her bag in and then followed with her body.

"What do you mean?" asked Ella as she helped Lulu get off the floor where she had not-so-gracefully landed.

"Leslie kicked me out"

"What? Why?"

"I was just borrowing her car!" said a defensive Lulu. "Anyway, I heard her on the phone with Skye…"

"Meaning you were eavesdropping"

"…and she said she was going to bring me over to the Quatermaine mansion tomorrow so that I could live with my dad"

"So she technically didn't kick you out"

"No, she's just pawning me off on a man who doesn't want me. So, I figured I'd save everyone the trouble"

"By running away to here"

"Exactly. Look El, if you don't want me here, that's fine. I understand. I was thinking about going to Nik's house anyway. But with Helena out of prison, and the fact that I technically am still a Spencer, I just didn't want to set myself up to be fish food. And Liz and Lucky are sleeping on a couch as is… look, I'll find a place" said Lulu as she picked up her bag.

"No, Lu, stay. It's fine. I don't want you wandering around the streets of Port Charles in the dark alone anyway"

"Thanks mom" said Lulu with a smile.

"But the only thing is…"

"Ella, is there someone in there?" called Sonny from outside of her door.

"No Dad, just the TV. Sorry, I'll lower it"

"You should be in bed anyway" he called back.

"I know, sorry" she said as she opened the door a crack so that they could see each other. "I'm going to bed, goodnight" she said as she gave him a goodnight kiss.

"Goodnight, sleep well" he told her.

"Anyway, as I was saying" whispered Ella as soon as Sonny walked away and the door was closed. "The only thing is we need to keep this a secret. If my dad found out you were staying here, he'd bring you back to your dad"

"I know, I know" said Lulu.

"It's a big bed, we can share, right?"

"We're both girls" said Lulu as she rolled her eyes. "And trust me, I like guys"

"No kidding" mumbled Ella as she turned off the lights.

She and Lulu were finally in bed when Lulu turned to her and said "oh, and I should warn you, I'm a kicker".

And that was how Ella knew it was going to be a very long night.


	4. Very Important AN

A/N: Hey guys, sorry, but this isn't an update. I have unfortunately spread myself a little too thin. Between school, ski trips, SAT prep, driving practice, and all my other stories, I simply don't have the time to write this right now. I'm not going to take it down just yet, but don't expect any updates fora very long time. This won't be completely abandoned, I promise! I just need to clear my schedule a little. I'm working on a JR story over at the JR board, I have a Journey story here, a JaSam story here, my Jexie story, and I'm also writinga Journey story for the holiday story-exchange over on the Journey board. So I'm a little tied up, plus I'm gonna need to start a new Jexie story soon to keep that balance that I love so much. So thanks to all of you who have faithfully reviewed and gave me such great compliments. I promise to get back to this eventually!

-Leanna Ross

Cookiecrazyy85 at yahoo .com


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